Wildlife & Plants

Federally endangered plants & wildlife

The federal Endangered Species Act protects more than 1,200 different plant and animal species that are on the brink of extinction. The Los Padres provides habitat for 26 of these protected species, more than any other national forest in California.

Species classified as endangered (E) are in danger of extinction, and species classified as threatened (T) is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. Candidate (C) species have declined to such a level that they qualify for endangered or threatened status, but the federal agency in charge of officially adding them to the list has not yet done so.

PLANTS

Sensitive species

In addition to the federally-protected plants and animals listed above, the Los Padres National Forest is also home to an additional 92 “sensitive” species. The population viability of these species is a concern due to current or predicted downward trends in population numbers or habitat capability. Whenever the Forest Service undertakes or approves an activity on public lands, officials are required by law to avoid or minimize impacts to these sensitive species.

Other Species of Interest

Management indicator species

Management Indicator Species (“MIS”) are plants and animals that are monitored by the U.S. Forest Service because they indicate the effects of land use activities on the Los Padres National Forest. When monitoring indicates that their populations are declining, the Forest Service knows to make adjustments to how it manages the area. The Los Padres National Forest contains twelve MIS, including:

California fully protected species

The State of California has classified certain wildlife species as “Fully Protected,” which means that they may not be killed or “taken” at any time. The classification of Fully Protected was the State’s initial effort in the 1960s to identify and provide additional protection to those animals that were rare or faced possible extinction.